Love Connecting Through General Conference

This link explains what General Conference is.  It is such a blessing!

Celebrating our Girls!

Sara turned 14
Meggan started at BYUI
Lena turned 16
And Moge's going to be a mama!
We love our girls!

FamilySearch at Valleyfest

Spent the day with my fam helping others find their fam at Valleyfest! #familysearch #valleyfest2018

Miss This Boy!

This kid has been serving for over a year! 1 to go! We miss him so much, but we are so grateful for his service and example. We know that what he is sharing is true. #socal #calledtoserve

Prayers Do Get Answered

Near the start of the month I was thinking of a friend who used to come to our Church. I was brainstorming what I could do to invite her back. I had seen her around the high school but never really got to talk to her a lot. We didn’t hang out in the same friend-groups and I didn’t have any classes with her. I thought, “What can I do?” I prayed that I would know what I could do. After praying I thought of inviting her to Mutual or Church but didn’t feel like that would work. Finally the thought came to me, "She knows about the Church. She knows she can come to you or your friends about it. If she needs it, she knows where to get it." I felt peace. I knew that was the answer. Pushing too much could push her over the edge and she’d never come. Now I wait and I prepare for when she could need me again. I keep myself open and ready for anything. I know there will be a time when she will come and need someone and I can be there. I know that God answered my prayer and it was the right answer. It brought me peace.

Lena

#LightTheWorld

I remember when I was a 12 year old girl, I was asked to read a scripture in church.  It was Matthew 5: 16 which reads “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”  I remember a feeling that I had in my heart as I read those words.  I felt it personally.  I needed to be a light for my Heavenly Father.  In 3 Nephi: 18:24 in the Book of Mormon it helps us to understand what that light is, “Therefore, hold up your light that it may shine unto the world. Behold I am the light which ye shall hold up—that which ye have seen me do.” 

It is a blessing to learn about our Savior and to try to be like Him.

Isn’t it amazing, though, how easy it is to fall into moods of selfishness and judgement. I have had a bit of a struggle this past month with thoughts of others not doing enough for me.  “Can’t they see how busy I am?”  “Why am I the one doing all of the work?”  “When will it be my turn to get what I want?”  (Yikes! It’s kind of hard to see those thoughts typed out.)  As I allowed myself to focus on these thoughts, I felt even more frustrated and sad and dark.  It was a depressing darkness that made the everyday processes in life feel hopeless. 

After acting out more than I would like to admit on these thoughts, I was led to question what was causing my pain.  Why didn’t I feel light.  And then I remembered the Source of light.  I remember how it feels to care for others as the Savior would.  I remember how it feels to think of others’ needs before my own.  I remember how it feels to be compassionate with myself.  I remember how it feels to know how the Savior and my Heavenly Father feel about me.  I love feeling His light.  I love sharing it.  It is what truly gives me happiness and peace.

How awesome to recognize this again, as we are given an opportunity to share and enjoy the light of Christ as we can participate in the Light the World celebration.  We can practice His teachings on a daily basis and feel His light in our lives and see it in others!  I hope and plan to take the opportunity to celebrate His life in this way.   I hope you do too!  He truly is my light!

The Lord is my light; the Lord is my strength.
I know in his might I’ll conquer at length.
My weakness in mercy he covers with pow’r,
And, walking by faith, I am blest ev’ry hour.

The Lord is my light, my all and in all.
There is in his sight no darkness at all.
He is my Redeemer, my Savior, and King.
With Saints and with angels his praises I’ll sing.
(“The Lord is My Light”, LDS Hymns no. 89)

Mindy

Change

Change can be hard, but I am grateful for change. My boys have changed, and my family is changing. It is hard, but exciting, and it's ultimately so good!

On July 24th Jordan left and moved to Utah. Megan (aka Moge) came up and drove down with him. Jord is living in Lehi and working in Orem and will be going to school.

This past Saturday Jordan proposed to Moge! They will be getting sealed in the Provo City Center temple on October 26th. (Here is why we build and have temples.) We LOVE Moge, and are so glad she will be joining our family.

On June 7th Brendan received the Melchizedek Priesthood and was ordained to the office of Elder.

On August 1st Brendan opened his mission call. He has been called to serve as a missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and has been assigned to labor in the California Arcadia Mission. He will report to the Provo Missionary Training Center on Wednesday, September 13th, and will prepare to preach the gospel in English.

This past Friday Brendan received his temple endowment in our Spokane temple. This is and was such a sacred, amazing event. I am so grateful for the eternal blessings this does and will provide for Brendan.

I testify that the only way to real happiness is to live the gospel. I love the gospel. I love my sons. I love my family.